


The Book of Ralph On How To Realize You're In Love With Your Best Friend

by DontMakeMeFrosty (AvaHasAClosetMurderBoard)



Series: Killervibe Week 2019 [1]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Canon Divergence - Episode 5x02, F/M, Fake Dating, First two prompts in one fic cuz reasons, I actually did!, I don't know what else to tag, Killervibe Week 2019, Mom get the camera
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-26
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2020-09-27 02:42:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20400355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvaHasAClosetMurderBoard/pseuds/DontMakeMeFrosty
Summary: 'He’s faced with a page full of side annotations and stains, its origins he rather remain blissful unaware of. It reads, in big bold letters: ‘RALPH DIBNY’S 27 STEPS TO GETTING OVER THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE’. He blinks, eyes the page again, and then looks at Ralph. “Are you kidding me with this?”But of course before Ralph even has a chance to respond, Caitlin takes the paper in her hands and gives him that look and hits him with that caring voice and how can Cisco say no to her?'OrA re-telling of 5x02 with awkward dates, Caitlin's revenge, Cisco being a mess and Ralph having it all figured out somehow.





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MoonlightShines (Thatkillervibe)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thatkillervibe/gifts).

> First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY  MoonlightShines (Thatkillervibe) ! Thanks for all the help with the timelines and brainstorming and the occasional motivation to get this done on time. I hope you have an awesome day and enjoy this <3 
> 
> A huge thank you also to WardenRoot &  WishingTree  & Starling83 & dmath00 for putting up with my nonsene, beta'ng and helping me flesh out all the fics I'll be posting this week! I couldn't have done it without any of you! <3
> 
> Without further ado, please enjoy and remember that this is a fusion of (two) prompts and there's a part 2 being posted tomorrow, so it may be a bit off theme.

Granted, Cisco would rather be anywhere else right now than inside Ralph’s office, listening to him drone on and on about his little book. ‘The Book of Ralph’ stood on the desk in front of him, still closed, and he honestly hopes it stays that way, given how Ralph keeps talking about it like it’s some sort of sacred book - something like a bible. He shoots another pleading glance towards Caitlin - he’s been doing it for the past fifteen minutes now, to no avail - and she still gives no indication of budging. She’s sitting on the desk, close to him, nodding along with whatever nonsense is coming out of Ralph Dibny’s mouth, and Cisco truly knows he’s in for it when not even his puppy eyes dissuade her from reaching out and opening the cursed book. 

He’s faced with a page full of side annotations and stains, its origins he rather remain blissful unaware of. It reads, in big bold letters: _ ‘RALPH DIBNY’S 27 STEPS TO GETTING OVER THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE’ _. He blinks, eyes the page again, and then looks at Ralph. “Are you kidding me with this?”

But of course before Ralph even has a chance to respond, Caitlin takes the paper in her hands and gives him _ that look _ and hits him with that _ caring voice _and how can Cisco say no to her?

As they go through the list, he realizes he may need to learn how to say no to her after all. Each point is more ridiculous than the previous one, and after trying the ‘affirmations’ he’s more than ready to jump out of that boat. If he’s going to be moping over Gypsy for a while, so be it; it sure felt less painful than some of the things Ralph had on his list. 

Who even gets over ‘the love of their life’ by _ cage diving with sharks _ ? Or by painting their toenails while watching _ ‘Beaches’ _ ? Not to mention the whole ‘give your best bud twenty dollars every time you think of your ex’ was a good way for him to go bankrupt _ really fast. _

Nope, he really wasn’t going to do it.

“I’m not doing any of this.” He says and he’s looking directly at Caitlin. “Please don’t make me do any of this. I’ll just muscle through the whole ‘Gypsy’ vibes, I don’t need this at all.”

Her eyes soften and he curses himself for nearly melting on the spot. “Cisco, after Ronnie and Jay you helped me get past it. Now it’s my turn to help you.”

There’s nothing he can say or do after she hits him with that, so he just nods. Immediately Caitlin and Ralph start an animated debate about which points Cisco can or cannot do, and he just sits there again drowning their voices out and wishing he could just breach somewhere and wait this out. But of course, using his powers meant thinking of Gypsy and he doesn’t honestly know what would be worse to endure at that point - both sound equally painful. 

He just hopes he can at least shake one or the other off - and fast - before he goes insane. 

**

The next day, he’s sitting in his workshop when Ralph and Caitlin come over and it’s hard to ignore the paper that she’s holding in her hands. He takes a deep breath, closes his eyes and for a moment starts reminding himself that he _ can _say no to her. Maybe he can just keep his eyes trained on Ralph instead, even if she’s the one doing all the talking. Cisco really has no problem saying no to him.

“Cisco.” He hears her calling in a way that demands his attention. He doesn’t turn around. “Cisco, we really should talk about starting out with this list. Ralph and I were talking yesterday and we decided that perhaps we can skip through most points and start with number twelve-”

“I’m not doing it.”

Silence. “Sorry?”

“I said…” Cisco opens his eyes and turns around slowly, his gaze on Ralph. “I’m not doing it. I’m not doing anything on that list.”

Ralph blinks in surprise and points a finger towards Caitlin, but Cisco’s eyes refuse to leave his form. He doesn’t need to look at her to know that she’s giving him that same sweet look from yesterday, and he’s definitely not going to fall for that again. 

“We are just trying to help you…” There’s that soft tone. He nearly cracks there and then. “At least just consider it.”

He doesn’t want to. He doesn’t want to consider the stupid list and he doesn’t want to look at her, even if she keeps trying to get his attention as she speaks. At some point Caitlin actually pushes Ralph to the side to get into Cisco’s field of vision and he just averts his eyes like a stubborn child, but not without catching a glimpse of the hurt expression on her face. Guilt churns at his insides. She’s just trying to help him.

Ralph is the one that ends up breaking the stalemate after this entire game of push and pull, avoidance and discussion keeps going on for longer than it should. “Hey, if he doesn’t want to go through the list, that’s alright Cait; we’ll just have to solve this the old-fashioned way.” He approaches and reaches out to pat Cisco on the shoulder, and then leans down to be eye-level with him. “Don’t worry buddy, Ralphie here will take care of everything.”

“... I’m afraid to ask what that even means.” It’s all he says and when Ralph just smiles in response, Cisco has a really bad feeling he’s going to regret this more than doing the damn list. 

“I’m not.” He hears Caitlin say. “Afraid to ask, I mean. If we aren’t getting Cisco to go through all these steps, then what’s the plan?”

“Blind dates, obviously.”

Oh, how he hates it when he’s right. He’s so going to regret this. 

“Doesn’t that kind of defeat the purpose of making him get over Gypsy?”

_ ‘Yes, it definitely does. Please listen to her.’ _

“Not if we find him the perfect girl or you know…” Ralph lowers his voice. “The perfect rebound.”

_ ‘He can’t be serious, right? He’s not serious.’ _

“That’s… There’s no way you can just go out there and find him a good match. Even if we run the right variables and statistics, we won’t know for sure if they are compatible until they’re in the same room talking.”

_ ‘Wait... why does it feel like she’s actually considering this?’ _

“True but hey, that’s what blind dates are for! Lots of trial and error but at least he will be too busy trying to start a conversation with whoever he’s with to mope over his ex.” 

_ ‘I’m literally standing RIGHT here.’ _

A pause. “You’re right. I mean, it’s not optimal but if it gets us some results...”

_ ‘Betrayal, betrayal, betrayal.’ _

“Great!” Ralph suddenly clasps his hands together and Cisco flinches at the sound that echoes through his workshop. “I will run through my contacts and see what I can find. I’ll text you the details later and all you need is to make sure that Cisco here actually shows up.”

_ ‘Well I guess that’s all sorted out. Why ask a guy if he really wants to go on dates when you can just decide HIS ENTIRE LIFE for him instead?!’ _

One last pat on his back and Ralph is walking out of the room, looking incredibly pleased with himself. Everything falls silent, aside from the sound of fading footsteps in the distance and it’s only when they fade that Cisco realizes that Caitlin is_ still _in the room - and awfully quiet at that. He chances a glance towards her, feeling incredibly sheepish, and finds her chewing on her bottom lip thoughtfully, arms crossed above her chest. Cisco has no idea what he’s supposed to say, and he thinks about protesting, thinks about telling her that it’s not fair she and Ralph get to make decisions like that without his saying, but the look Caitlin gives him has the words dying in his throat. 

There’s a layer of concern dancing behind her eyes, and something _ else _, something he hasn’t seen there before. It thinks she may be angry, but her gaze is too soft to be that; disappointment perhaps? 

If this was any other girl shooting him that look, he may have thought of it as jealousy. But this is_ Caitlin _ . This is his _ best friend _. There is no way she would be jealous of him going out on dates with random women.

_ Or would she? _

His heart does this little leap at the thought and he pushes it down immediately. That subject is a can of worms he much rather not touch. And probably never will. 

A sigh escapes her, after the silence stretches on and on, and now she does look truly disappointed. “Well, I guess I’ll let you know when I hear something back from Ralph.” 

She moves, arms falling limply at her sides as she does, and turns on her heel. Cisco watches her go, watches her leave, but before she has time to cross the threshold into the hall, something has him calling out for her. “Caitlin, wait.”

Caitlin stops and glances at him over her shoulder. “Yes, Cisco?”

“I-...” He trails off and swallows. “Thanks. For doing this.”

All he gets in reply is a stiff nod and then she’s gone, leaving him alone with his raging thoughts. 

**

It’s past seven and Cisco is sitting in a small Italian place that just opened a few blocks away from S.T.A.R. Labs. Across from him is a blonde woman that he’s never met before, with piercing blue eyes and dark red lipstick. She’s definitely making him feel completely underdressed, with her little black dress that hugs all her curves perfectly. He tugs uncomfortably at the collar of his ‘_ You know nothing, Jon Snow’ _T-shirt and vows that if there is a next time, if there is even another blind date, he will actually take Caitlin up on her offer to pick something nice for him to wear. He had politely refused her offer to do just that. It just didn’t feel right, after… whatever it was that happened in his workshop and had left them a bit out of sorts. 

Cisco wishes they could talk and sort things out. He didn’t like to be at odds with her. 

The woman - _ Leah _ , he reminds himself - clears her throat and flashes him the sweetest smile. “So, _ Cisco _,” she purrs and he nearly cringes at it. “Tell me something about yourself.” 

_ Uh oh, the small talk. _

He squirms in his seat and thinks about a lot of things, and realizes that most of those he can’t even say out loud. The woman is aware he’s some sort of scientist, and he doesn’t know if he’s glad or not that Ralph was _ that _vague in telling her what Cisco does for a living. Going on and on about any science-y stuff is therefore out of the question, lest she fall asleep from boredom. So he goes for something safer, something he’s sure they can start a conversation about.

“I like watching TV shows,” he begins. “I actually just finished watching Game of Thrones and woah was that a-”

“Oh, I don’t watch television.” She cuts him off and makes a faint dismissing gesture with her hand. “I honestly think that spending hours in front of a screen does nothing more than make people dumber.”

“I... see.” 

“No offense, of course! You’re a scientist so I guess the rule doesn’t really apply to you.”

“Right… Of course.”

The waiter shows up to take their orders and he has to bite his tongue to not just order a glass of water when she takes exactly twenty long minutes to choose between two pasta dishes - she actually pulls out her phone to look up the ingredients used in each of them, how many calories per bite and even has the poor guy serving them call the manager to ask if the vegetables used were freshly picked that _ morning _ because yes, time of harvest apparently _ matters _. 

He shoots the waiter an apologetic glance and shortly after, when Leah excuses herself to use the restroom, Cisco pulls out his phone and fires a quick message to Caitlin.

_ ‘HELP ME.’ _

It takes less than thirty seconds for his phone to vibrate with a reply. 

_ ‘Something wrong? I thought you were on your date’ _

_ ‘I AM and it’s AWFUL’ _

_ ‘Can’t be THAT bad’ _

He rolls his eyes and frowns. _ ‘She thinks TV makes people dumb and took 20 minutes to order pasta.’ _

_ ‘Oh…’ _

_ ‘Yeah… Pls call me or something, say it’s an emergency so I CAN LEAVE.’ _

His phone goes eerily silent after that.

Leah comes back to the table and starts rambling on and on about carrots and the power of yoga pants charged with good _ vibes _ \- he almost spits out his drink at that - and Cisco really hopes Caitlin will call him soon. 

The food arrives ten minutes later and still his phone doesn’t go off. 

Fifteen more minutes go by and he feels like just dropping his face straight into his half eaten pasta dish and play dead, when Leah demands to see the manager because she found _ a piece of lettuce _mixed with her rucola salad.

Maybe this was payback for not wanting to follow the list. Maybe this was Caitlin’s way of getting his revenge on him. 

He even starts considering that maybe Killer Frost is suddenly back and that _ she _was the one replying to him, not Caitlin.

… Okay, maybe he’s slowly starting to lose his mind. 

The manager is at the table and Leah is being offered a new plate of food when the little bell chimes and there’s an oddly familiar pair of heels clicking on the polished tile floor. He would recognize it anywhere, and maybe it’s such a weird thing that he does, but working with his nose buried in tech all day has allowed him to develop a way of knowing who was approaching by their footsteps. 

Barry’s are fast, always rushing even when he’s not speeding around sending papers flying everywhere. Iris’s are purposeful and rather quiet most of the time - she always manages to somehow sneak up on him. Ralph’s are casual and leaned back, like he’s not in a rush to get where he needs to be. Nora’s are as rushed as Barry’s but as quiet as Iris’s and he finds that secretly adorable, given that she’s their daughter. 

But the ones he’s most used to are Caitlin’s. It’s always a rhythmic click of heels that never fails to let him know _ exactly _what mood she’s in or what the purpose of her visit to his workshop is. If the rhythm is constant, she’s in total business mode; if it’s rushed there’s an emergency. If it sounds casual, she’s just popping in for a little chat. And if it’s dragged and slow, she’s having a bad day. 

And just by knowing that, Cisco can tell he’s about to be approached by ‘_ business mode’ _ Caitlin Snow.

“Oh there you are, Mister Ramon, ” she begins the moment she reaches their table. “I’ve been looking for you all over and since you weren’t answering your phone, I took the liberty to contact one of your co-workers. They said you’d be here, I’m glad they were right.” Caitlin turns her attention to Leah. “I’m terribly sorry to interrupt your date.”

“Not at all. I’m sorry, Leah, this is-”

“Doctor Caitlin Snow.” She cuts him off and extends a hand politely for the other woman to shake. “I’m Mister Ramon’s personal physician.” 

“Oh, you have a personal physician.” Leah purrs out and shakes Caitlin’s hand with the sweetest smile on her face. “I guess being a scientist pays _ well _.”

“So it does…” Cisco breathes out, his eyes on Caitlin. “So, _ Doctor Snow, _what can I help you with?”

“Your blood test results just came in and I’m afraid I need to ask you to come with me back to the clinic. There seems to be some dangerous pathogenic in your bloodstream and our protocol clearly states that in these cases the patient must be put in quarantine until we are sure it’s not contagious.”

He raises an eyebrow when Caitlin reaches inside her purse and pulls out a pair of latex gloves and a face mask. Meanwhile Leah is turning five different shades of green across from him, and the other people inside the small place are starting to stare. Cisco wants to protest when she reaches out to place the mask over his mouth, but Caitlin shoots him a pointed look that screams _ ‘do it and I’ll leave you here to rot on your terrible date’ _, so he remains quiet and does exactly what she tells him to. 

They are out of the small restaurant in no time, after Caitlin drops a few dollar bills on the table to pay for _ his _ meal and then literally drags him out by the arm. It’s embarrassing and he sort of feels sorry for Leah, who’d began to madly scratch herself thinking she’d caught whatever he has. People keep staring on the street as they walk and Cisco is glad she’d managed to park her car just around the corner because he doesn’t think he would survive the entire walk back to S.T.A.R. Labs. 

Once they’re inside he rips the mask off and turns to her, eyes narrowed. “Was this-” he lifts the mask to eye level. “-really necessary?”

Caitlin just shrugs, an edge of amusement playing on her lips as she focuses on starting the car. “You asked for my help.”

“I did, but you didn’t have to come _ in person _and pretend I’m contagious.”

“Hey! Maybe I did have to, maybe I didn’t. Regardless, you’re out of your date so don’t complain, or next time I’m sending Ralph instead to pick you up.”

“... Fine.”

“Fine what?”

“... Fine, _ thank you for coming to my rescue Caitlin _.”

“Much better. Now put your seatbelt on, I’m going to grab us some take-away and we’re doing movie night - my choice of movie.”

Cisco rolls his eyes and she just laughs. Turns out Caitlin Snow doesn’t play fair.

**

It’s only two days later that Cisco finds himself on another date. This time it’s a brunette with bright green eyes named Sharon. She’s dressed as casual as he is and it delights him when one of the first things she does is to make a comment about his _ ‘Bazinga’ _shirt, saying that she loves the show. 

So far, so good.

She’s all smiles and laughter and Cisco actually starts believing that Ralph Dibny hit the jackpot with this one. There’s no shortage of topics as they go through the appetizers - from shows they both watched or are currently watching, to banal things like the weather. Turns out she’s also a gamer, so they discuss the pros and cons of different platforms and even start an animated debate: PlayStation 4 vs Xbox 360. The waiter comes around and it takes her all but ten seconds to order and Cisco feels the tension leave his entire body. 

But of course, as they’re eating their lunch, things take an… interesting turn.

“So Sharon-”

“Oh. My name is actually Jelly Anne.”

He pauses, fork just shy of reaching his lips and lets out a hearty laugh. But she’s not laughing, she’s looking at him like she’s _ actually serious _, and he almost chokes on air. “Wait, you’re actually serious.”

“Hm, yeah?”

“Your name… Is Jelly. _ Jelly Anne. _” 

“Yep!” She nods and there’s a smile on her lips. “It’s basically Jillian.”

Cisco’s mouth drop open. “...That’s _ nothing _like Jillian.”

The woman ignores the disbelieving look on his face and starts telling him the story about how her parents named her. It’s a long thing, with lots of twists and turns and circles - even triangles, who would have guessed - that ended in this poor, innocent soul being named _ Jelly Anne _ , which according to her is supposed to be pronounced like _ Jillian. _ The topic changes when dessert arrives, but all Cisco can think about is how her name is _ Jelly _and his brain instantly goes into ‘crack bad jokes’ mode. Her lips are moving, he’s aware she’s talking to him and yet he’s more interested in his little inner monologue, so all he does is nod along. 

It’s hard to keep a straight face with the amount of nonsense going through his mind but he uses those times where _ Jelly _ begins to laugh to let it out of his system. And when he does need to answer, he manages to keep it monosyllabic , lest he say more than he should.

The date ends, they are standing outside the restaurant saying their farewells and when she mentions ‘_ they should totally do this again soon’ _, he just can’t help himself anymore. 

“We don’t… stick. If you know what I mean.”

Jelly blinks and tilts her head. “...I don’t know what you mean.”

“You know? Like stick? Gel?” She shakes her head no. He snorts. “Because your name is _ Jelly _?”

She lets out an offended gasp, mouth opening in complete disbelief, and hits him _ square _ on the arm with her purse. Cisco’s laugh is cut short by the impact - it feels like he just got hit with a very sturdy brick - and he lets out a hiss. Jelly _ hmphs _ and storms off and Cisco just stands there, in front of the restaurant, being stared at _ again _by random strangers who are loudly whispering about how ‘absolutely rude’ he is. 

He wishes he could dig a hole _ and hide. _

And then, as if on cue, he hears that familiar click of heels on the pavement and none other than _ Caitlin Snow _appears in his field of vision with a steaming hot cup of coffee from Jitters and he thinks he’s starting to see a pattern here. 

“I take it the date didn’t go very well, ” she starts and the corners of her eyes crinkle with mirth. 

Cisco is _ not _amused. “What are you even doing here, Caitlin?”

“I was… In the neighborhood.”

“You live on the other side of the city.” 

A shrug. “Felt like driving around here. I do that sometimes.”

He’s not very convinced by her excuse but lets it slide, not too eager to start what could possibly brew into an argument with pedestrians - and even restaurant staff members - still staring at him. So he doesn’t. Cisco takes the extra cup of coffee, the one he didn’t realize Caitlin was holding, that is nearly shoved his way, and together they walk into the night. 

**

Needless to say that dates number three and four go as well as one would expect with Cisco’s track record. On the first one he ends up having coffee with a lady called Beatrice, who keeps squeezing his cheeks and talking about her grandson that is just about Cisco’s age, even handing him a box of homemade cookies. The second finds him having lunch with a woman named Trista, who teaches self defense - she keeps saying the word ‘crotch’ over and over while she tells him in great detail how to land solid good hooks, elbows and kicks into that area.

Cisco almost asks for an ice pack. Almost.

However, what really gets him is how, after each terrible date, he always ends up running into Caitlin.

The excuses are the worst he’d ever heard in his life, coming from her. First she’s _ ‘out shopping and needed a coffee break’ _\- she was carrying no bags at the time. After that her car had broken down nearby and she was trying to find a phone she could use, since hers was dead - Cisco is pretty sure he saw her car parked across the street from her apartment when he’d breached her back. It made little sense to him why it felt like Caitlin was spying on him. 

His suspicions grow when he supposedly gets stood up on date number five and runs into her _ again _ as he’s leaving the restaurant. Her excuse? She’s doing an errand. For _ Barry. _

Who was she trying to convince, really?

Cisco tries to confront her in her lab, but before he can even begin to make sense of the mess going through his mind, Ralph walks in and announces that he’s finally found the perfect woman for Cisco, and that’s when he can’t take it anymore.

“You know what guys? I think I’m going to take on that list after all. What’s the first step? And please don’t say sharks.”

He regrets it. He regrets it dearly.

It’s not soon after that he finds himself back in Ralph’s office, with a man named _ Bruce _ giving him a total makeover. _ ‘Metamorphosis _ , _ ’ _Caitlin had called it, and he’s seriously wondering if this is payback, if this is for real or if she’s just using Ralph’s page as an excuse to let Cisco know she doesn’t like the way he dresses.

Maybe it’s a combination of all three. 

Now Cisco is in a suit, and he makes sure to let them all know - including _ Bruce _\- that he really doesn’t like it. He thinks he may have seen Caitlin’s eyes wander over him, may have seen her taking it all in - and not just as a way of appreciating his outfit - but he quickly brushes that thought away. He shouldn’t be reading too much into it. 

Of course, just when he’s starting to think his humiliation and torture is over, it has to continue. Ralph mentions that now Cisco is ‘ready to get back out there’ and that he will ‘give this lovely lady he knows a call’, and the moment he excuses himself from the room to have a conversation with Bruce, Cisco nearly throws himself at Caitlin’s feet. 

“Please help me, Caitlin, you _ have _ to help me. I don’t want to go on a date with another stranger,” he begs and she looks startled when he actually reaches out and clings onto her legs. “ _ Please _have mercy, I have suffered enough. Don’t you see, Caitlin? Don’t you see the pain - ”

She cuts him off. “Okay, okay. I get it, Cisco, I’ll talk to Ralph and we’ll figure something out-”

“What if he doesn’t stop? What if he keeps sending me to date after date and I end up having tea with a lady old enough to be my grandmother again?”

“I don’t think-”

“_ Caitlin. _”

She sighs and rolls her eyes. “Okay, then what do you propose?”

He doesn’t know what comes over him at that moment, just like he doesn’t know what his actual plan is, but he answers her anyways. 

“Date me.”

There’s an array of different emotions that flash through her eyes as soon as the words are out of his mouth, and he nearly gets whiplash as he tries to keep up with the changes. Her expression morphs into surprise, followed by confusion, and then her lips are parting and she’s frowning down at him. “Excuse me? I don’t think I heard that right.”

“Date me,” He says again, but this time he adds, “Fake date me. Pretend we’re together. Ralph can’t keep setting me on dates if I’m with someone, right?”

Caitlin lets out a breath and begins chewing on her bottom lip, and Cisco tilts his head. Is that a hint of disappointment he sees on her face? 

Ralph’s laugh echoes from down the hall, and Cisco’s eyes widen as he’s reminded of how little time he has to convince her to help. 

“Look, we don’t have to do anything,” he explains quickly, words starting to tumble out of him, “We’ll just tell him we’re together! I get him off my case, and you get free coffee and lunch for a month. Or two. This is a matter of life and death so I’m willing to negotiate here.” 

Caitlin still doesn’t look convinced, but the sound of footsteps in the hallway spurs on his desperation. “Please say yes, Caitlin. Help your best friend out, please please pleaseeee.” Ralph’s shadow appears against the glass, and his eyes widen, clasping his hands together and begging, “Caitlin, _ please. _”

She breathes out a barely audible _ ‘okay’ _just as Ralph opens the door, and Cisco quickly springs apart from her and starts dusting himself off. Ralph gives him a weird look as he makes his way back to his desk, but thankfully he doesn’t mention it.

“So anyway, I’m going to give that girl a call for you, and -”

“You can’t.” 

Both him and Ralph share a look when it’s Caitlin who interrupts. He didn’t see that one coming.

“Uh… And why is that?” 

“Because…” her gaze settles on him, and Cisco feels shivers running down her spine from the intensity of it. “Cisco and I are dating.”

The sentence is completely effortless when she says it, and Cisco is surprised. It took him bargaining and pleading for her to agree, and yet she’s the one selling this gambit. The same thoughts that have been plaguing his mind the entire week resurface full force, and he feels his brain pick up its whirring. The connections are all there - all that’s left is for him to tie the strings.

The look of jealousy he thought he’d seen back at his workshop. Her physically showing up to help him get away from his first date. Running into her time after time, date after date. Her ridiculous excuses. The way she’d looked at him from head to toe when he’d put on the suit he’s wearing. 

And now this. 

There’s something here, right in front of his face, and Cisco wants to understand. He really does.

His musings are interrupted by Ralph letting out a whoop and starting to shower them with congratulations interspersed by questions, and Cisco and Caitlin are left to awkwardly stare at each other when he grabs his jacket and slides the key from the office into Cisco’s pocket.

“I’ll leave you two to... talk things over, if you know what I mean. But hey, I totally knew you guys would end up hooking up! My job here is done.”

Both their eyes snap towards Ralph, and he just throws them a wink before tapping his nose and proudly announcing that_ ‘Private Eye Dibny is out’ _and leaving the room. 

The silence that follows has Cisco swearing he can hear tumbleweed and the crickets miles and miles away in the desert, and he winces. This isn’t a good start. 

“So…” he focuses his gaze on Caitlin, and she gives him a shaky half smile in return.

“So…”

He laughs nervously. “That was unexpected. And awkward. Or unexpectedly awkward. Maybe even-”

“Cisco.”

“..._ Caitlin.” _

“We should... talk.”

The look on her face is unsure, hesitant and a little scared with an underlying current of raw hope, and Cisco lets out a breath. “We should.” 

Something about this is setting off a few bells in his mind again, but it’s quiet in the room and Caitlin is… something. He blinks and resolves to figure it out later. After this. 

“Yeah?” Caitlin is looking at him shyly now, glancing up from under her eyelashes, and he smiles. 

“Definitely. Maybe over coffee? I could really use some coffee right now.”

“Sounds like a plan,” she says, and the corners of her mouth twitch upwards. “It’s a date.”


	2. Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one comes one day late, oops
> 
> But I finished it!

Jitters isn’t as busy as one would expect it to be on a Friday afternoon, and they have no issue finding a vacant table. Caitlin finds them a seat at his request and insistence, and Cisco goes to stand in line to make their orders. There’s a young couple happily chatting in front of him, and it’s hard not to crack a smile at their antics when the man makes a terrible joke and the woman swats him in the arm for it, even if she does laugh. It’s cute and has him thinking about his best friend, up until the point the couple begins to hold hands and share glances like they’re trading secrets. 

Cisco averts his eyes, feeling like he’s intruding on a private moment, and his gaze wanders to where Caitlin is waiting. She’s looking at him with an unreadable expression, but her eyes are soft and warm as she flashes him a reassuring smile and he finds himself mirroring it instantly.

It doesn’t even occur to him to question it, but what with their newest arrangement he finds himself wondering if this is a normal thing to do. The sound of somebody clearing their throat prompts him to turn back to the counter, and he smiles sheepishly when he sees it’s his turn, giving the person an apologetic look.

After grabbing them both some coffee and also a cinnamon bun for Caitlin - he knows it’s going to be one of _those _conversations when she’s craving some sugar - he returns to their table and sets everything down. Caitlin smiles her thanks, and he takes the seat across from her. 

Now that they’re so close, he can truly feel the nervous energy that he knows is coming off from both of them. Caitlin’s eyes seem to be glued to her coffee that she keeps stirring with small, calculated movements, but he catches her stealing little glances when she thinks he’s not looking. It feels odd, this sudden awkwardness between them. They’ve been friends for so long that talking with each other usually feels as natural as breathing, and now there’s just silence and whatever this unspoken thing looming over them is. 

It kind of feels like he’s suffocating.

Caitlin opens her mouth, but before Cisco can perk up she closes it almost immediately. This happens a few more times as the minutes tick by and he really wants to say something, anything at all, but he feels like it’s better to wait it out and give her some time to speak her mind. Cisco has more than his fair share of questions that he really needs answered, but he tries to be patient, tries to be the good friend that he’s always been. 

Though he supposes that good friends aren’t supposed to crush on the other and then ask them to be their fake date, are they?

Cisco feels like a terrible friend right now.

The feeling only grows the longer they sit there, and it reaches its peak when she starts picking at her cinnamon bun. It's the slow way she pops those tiny pieces in her mouth, the little sounds of approval that keep escaping her as she chews… Then the tip of her tongue pokes out to gather the sugar that has accumulated on her lip, and Cisco has to avert his gaze and shut his eyes when a stray thought has him want to clean the sugar off her lips - with his own. 

He hopes she doesn’t notice the sudden shift or the way he’s squirming in his seat. He closes his eyes and tries to think of something else, something like formulas or equations or the season finale of his favorite show, but his thoughts keep drifting to her. 

He grinds his teeth in frustration. That’s not helping.

There’s a gentle touch on his hand and Cisco opens his eyes. It takes him a second to compose himself to be able to face her, and when he does she’s looking at him with something in her gaze that hadn’t been there before. Her fingers start drawing little soothing patterns on his skin, and he swallows hard.

“Cisco,” she says his name almost in a whisper, and he shivers. “It’s okay. We’re okay.”

Oh, how he wants to believe her. But he doesn’t and he can’t, not when there’s so many dark corners they’ve yet to shine a light on. She looks willing to talk at least, more at ease and open, so Cisco takes that as the sign that he needs to finally spill his heart.

“Okay, Caitlin, I-” His lips are suddenly dry and he licks them in an attempt to make the talking easier. Her eyes seem to darken in response, but he thinks that may have been a trick of the light. “I need to know.”

She nods and her finger pauses its movements. A beat passes, and then her warm hand covers his instead and gives it a squeeze. “I know you do,” she breathes and averts her gaze to the floor for a moment, like she’s trying to build up some courage. When she looks at him again, there’s the beginning of a shy smile forming on her lips. “All you have to do is ask.”

And just like that all the metaphoric cards and chess pieces are laid on the table in front of him and it’s his move. Even though it’s what he wanted, he has no idea what to do with it all.

Pausing, he thinks about what he wants to know first. There’s a line of questioning in his mind that he knows he should follow, if perhaps just to put her at ease - both of them, really - and make the entire conversation a slow unfold instead of a dramatic reveal. That could work. 

Of course his heart fully disagrees with his mind. It threatens to leap out of his chest and right into her waiting hands, for her to do as she pleases. It threatens to have him spill all his emotions, all his colors and  _ feelings _ , and Cisco knows he’s not prepared for that - at least not just yet. 

There’s some things he needs to know first, and one of those things in particular has the power to shake their relationship to the core, so that’s what he goes with. 

“That day, when Ralph suggested blind dates… Were you jealous?”

Everything stills, and Caitlin looks like a deer caught in the headlights. Her lips are parted and her eyes are wide, and Cisco thinks his question wasn’t what she thought he would ask. She averts her eyes and chews on her bottom lip, meeting his gaze again, but she can’t seem to be able to hold it. She’s a massive ball of nerves - he can feel the vibrations of the table and doesn’t need to check to know that she’s bouncing her leg up and down.

Cisco’s eyes flicker to where her hand is still covering his and he draws away, no longer satisfied by Caitlin’s simply resting atop it. He notices her tensing at the action and almost panics, quickly reaching out once more for her, this time picking up her hand with their palms touching and fingers intertwined.

He can’t stop thinking how nice and perfect her hand fits in his, and Cisco thinks she may be thinking the same thing. There’s moisture gathering in her eyes that she tries to hide by averting her gaze, and he surprises himself - and her, judging by the small gasp that escapes her lips - when he reaches across the table with his free hand and wipes some of it away with his thumb. 

The hand remains there, comfortably resting against her cheek, and he knows she has yet to answer his question, but her eyes are on him and his flicker down to her lips and then there’s a pull and- 

“Hey guys! I just heard-  _ Oh. _ ”

They spring apart, his hand falling from her cheek to hit the table instead and the first thing he sees - when had he closed his eyes anyway? - is Caitlin’s embarrassed and flushed face, her eyes looking everywhere but him. 

The second is a very sheepish looking Barry Allen, eyes darting between them. He looks thoroughly apologetic about interrupting their little moment, but there’s a clear layer of excitement behind all that, and his lips are drawn in an easy smile. 

“Again, I’m so sorry I interrupted but I really had to congratulate my best friends in finally getting together. It’s been such a long time coming, I’m happy for you guys! 

Cisco blinks. How did Barry know? And this ‘a long time coming’ thing, did that mean he  _ knew  _ they had a thing for each other all this time?

“Wait, okay... slow down a second here.” He starts, his hand still gently holding Caitlin’s. “I have so many questions right now… Let’s start with  _ how  _ do you know we’re-” Cisco pauses for a second, to digest the word. “ - _ Dating _ ?”

“Oh, Ralph told me.” 

_ Of course he did. _

“He said something about you guys…  _ you know... _ in his office. That’s kinda gross, man. I mean it’s Ralph’s office, have you seen the mess he makes in there?”

Caitlin splutters and starts coughing - she’d just picked up her cup of coffee to take a sip, and Barry gently pats her back to ease her up. She’s flustered, eyes darting everywhere again. Meanwhile, Cisco has his mouth open in complete disbelief. He wonders what else Ralph has been saying about them. 

“First of all,  _ ew no _ , we wouldn’t do  _ that  _ in his office, that’s disgusting. Second, we just talked for a bit and then came here. That’s all that happened.”

“ _ Oooh _ . Okay good. Sorry, it just sounded like that because of the way he wrote it down.” Barry rubs the back of his neck, looking embarrassed. “But yeah, I’m really happy for you both.”

Caitlin flashes Barry a hesitant smile, her eyes briefly flickering to where her fingers are still interlocked with Cisco’s. “Thanks Barry, that’s really sweet of you but I’m afraid Ralph is partially wrong here. We told him we were dating to get him to stop setting Cisco up with horrible dates.” 

Barry frowns at them. “Wait, I thought  _ you _ were the one helping Ralph with that.”

Her mouth falls open while her eyes go wide and she’s spluttering again, her gaze on him. It takes Cisco some time for the new information to register, and at first he assumes it’s just another one of Ralph’s miscommunications; but then he realizes Caitlin is looking like she’s been caught redhanded with her hand down the cookie jar and it  _ clicks.  _ All those terrible dates, with all those women… That had been her doing all along. That was also why she knew exactly where to find him each time, too.

He shoots her a look that screams  _ ‘betrayal’.  _ She looks at him like she’s wishing a hole would spawn underneath her. 

And Barry is looking between them, probably wondering if he said something wrong again.

They start a silent conversation of their own, completely ignoring that Barry is still standing  _ right there.  _

Cisco frowns.  _ ‘How could you do this?’ _

Caitlin’s lips form a thin line.  _ ‘Why do you think I did it?’ _

He raises an eyebrow.  _ ‘And that’s reason enough to do that? Why not talk to me?’ _

Her eyes flicker to the floor and then back to him.  _ ‘I couldn’t tell you.’ _

Next to them, Barry clears his throat. “I think, yeah, I think I’m gonna go, you guys look like you need to talk.”

He hears him bid his goodbyes and feels him move away, but his eyes remain on her. A part of him understands her reasons for her actions, but the other - the biggest - feels nothing but hurt. Why had she even agreed to help Ralph in the first place, if she didn’t want him going on blind dates? It stings. It hurts. And it positively  _ sucks.  _

His hand pulls away from hers and he does his best to ignore the hurt in her eyes when he does it. Caitlin licks her lips and moves both hands to her lap, eyes downcast, and he swallows hard. This is really not how he’d seen this impromptu date going  _ at all.  _

But they agreed to talk, over coffee. So that’s what they’ll do.

“Caitlin, I just want you to be honest with me.” He starts slowly, voice measured. “Was it really you that picked all those women for me?”

There’s a pregnant pause and she nods slightly, still refusing to meet his gaze. Cisco lets out a breath and closes his eyes, feeling the frustration rising with every second, and he opens them again only to find she’s shyly looking his way. Her eyes are red and she looks so small, almost on the verge of crying, and she’s gazing at him like she’s expecting Cisco to yell or storm out of the place. 

He does the latter. 

It’s too much to take in, from the lies to the omissions, and the hurt ends up trumping all chances of rational thought. “I’m sorry, Caitlin” is all he manages to utter before he’s out of his chair and marching towards the door. He’s vaguely aware of the stares and the way she desperately calls out for him as he strides, and he thinks he may have seen Ralph - of all people - standing in the far corner watching the scene unfold. The door is pushed open, perhaps with a bit more force than necessary, and the sun instantly blinds him. It’s insanely warm, warmer than it should be for that time of the year, and Cisco feels like he’s suffocating. 

It’s ridiculous and he feels absolutely ridiculous, wearing a fancy suit and walking away from her like that, but he’s confused and hurt and he really needs some time and space to process all of it. He pops the two top buttons open on his shirt and shrugs off the jacket as he turns the corner, and Cisco doesn’t know if he’s glad or not that he can’t hear Caitlin following him. 

Maybe it’s better this way.

Another corner and he barely avoids colliding with some street musicians playing one of those cheesy love songs that have gone out of fashion years ago. There’s a small crowd watching on, so he has to be extra careful in making sure no one notices him wiggling through to reach the back alley where it’s safe to open a breach. It’s a struggle but he manages, after prying away the wandering hands of a clearly tipsy lady that reaches out to try and pull him to dance. 

The alley smells like rotten vegetables and other unsavory things, and Cisco is glad he won’t be lingering around long enough to have to deal with the stench. He starts thinking about where he wants to go, where he should go, and his brain decides to use that moment to actually rationalize the entire situation. 

The previous minutes flash through like an old black and white movie, with blurred corners and a grainy filter, and he doesn’t know if he wants to scream to the seven winds or kick himself in the head. Yes, he’s upset and yes, he’s hurt, but why would he storm off like that on her? What was he even thinking, leaving Caitlin behind like that? She’s probably thinking he hates her now. And he doesn’t, of course he doesn’t, because once the hurt subsides he will come to - partially - understand why she’d done that if she has feelings for him.

If he thinks about it long enough, he’ll realize he would have done the exact same thing. 

Cisco is so wrapped up in his head he doesn’t realize someone else is in the alley until an  _ icicle  _ whittles to the air and barely misses his cheek. He spins around and is momentarily stunned by the sight of none other than Killer Frost walking towards him, another icicle already forming in her right hand. 

He bristles at her and shakes his head. “Oh no, you don’t get to do that.”

Frost halts her steps, stopping just a few paces from him. She tilts her head. “Do what? Kick your ass for hurting Caity? You bet I can.” Her eyes narrow. “And I will.”

“No, you really can’t. And you know why?” He stares right at her, not intimidated at all by the glare he’s receiving, and takes a step forward. “Because  _ she  _ is the one who hurt me.”

To his surprise, she starts laughing like he’d just said the funniest thing ever - going as far as fake wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. Cisco twitches but his face remain stoic. She stops laughing. “Wait, you’re actually serious.” 

“Why wouldn’t I be? She set me up with probably some the  _ worst women _ in Central City. Caitlin should have just told me she didn’t want me going on blind dates.”

“That easy, uh?” she challenges.

“Yes.”

Frost lets out a bitter laugh. “Okay, then I suppose Caity should have done that as well when you were dating that Gypsy girl. And those casuals you went out with before.” She folds her arms above her chest, the icicle still clutched in her right hand. “Wonder how well that would have gone if she did.”

Cisco freezes at the sudden revelation. He opens his mouth and closes it right after as he can’t seem to find the right words to say or the right questions to ask. He can take that, from what Frost has just revealed to him, Caitlin had feelings for him longer than he thought she did. But how long has it been? And why hadn’t she said something? Why hadn’t she given him any signs?

Perhaps she had. Perhaps Caitlin had been leaving him a little trail of breadcrumbs for him to follow all this time, and he’s chosen to remain unaware or simply ignored what was right in front of him. The notion sounds absolutely ridiculous to him, given her feelings are very much reciprocated. 

He’s not even sure for how long either. 

“You’re right,” he says and she raises an eyebrow. “I don’t know how I would have reacted if she’d told me before.”

“You can’t blame her then-”

Cisco cuts her off. “I can blame us both. We knew what we felt and we weren’t honest with each other about it. That’s on us- on both of us.” He takes another step forward and lets out a breath. “Look, I shouldn’t have ran away like that and I’m sorry. That truly wasn’t my finest moment.”

“It really wasn’t.”

He nods. “I know. If I could go back in time I would have stayed.” Cisco takes another step and he’s right in front of her, just shy of entering her personal space. “We can’t change what happened but we can change what happens now so,  _ please _ -” He swallows. “Please, Caitlin, just-- just talk to me.”

There’s a subtle change, just a flicker behind her eyes that doesn’t go unnoticed by him, but Killer Frost remains. “You said that before and you still bailed out,  _ Cisco _ .” The way she says his name sounds full of venom. “What’s to stop you from breaching out of this place once I get Caity out?”

“You are.”

“... Excuse me?”

It’s without thinking that he reaches out and wraps his fingers around the icicle she’s holding. The chill that emanates from it bites into his skin and he winces, but it doesn’t deter him to pull his hand away. Frost looks at him, wide eyed, and part of him is proud that he’d managed to surprise her with his action. “You have my word. And if I do run you can just come find me and kill me.”

She snorts and shakes her head. “You know I could never do that, no matter how much I  _ really want to.” _ As if to make a point, she moves the icicle sightly and it digs into his skin as sharp as a knife. He doesn’t flinch. “But I can hurt you  _ a lot,  _ so you better be wise in keeping your word.”

Cisco nods. It feels strange to come to some weird agreement with  _ Killer Frost  _ of all people, but he knows he’ll do anything it takes to make sure he won’t hurt Caitlin again, being it under threat of her alter-ego or not. Frost seems satisfied with his answer and a second later, right before his eyes, she begins to fade away. The long white locks become brown, her lips return to their natural pink color. It’s no longer the icy blue eyes that stare back at his - it’s warm brown ones that blink in confusion. Caitlin lets out a gasp and takes a step back, and the icicle she and Cisco had both been holding falls to the floor and shatters to pieces. 

Her gaze falls to the remains of ice that slowly begin to melt into the dirty cobblestones and so does his, and that’s when he notices the specks of blood - his blood - that stain one of the pieces. 

He didn’t even realize he was bleeding. 

Caitlin looks at him and when he sees her eyes frantically checking him for any signs of injuries, he unconsciously clenches his hand and a small hiss escapes his lips at the action. She notices.

“Cisco,” she begins, worry evident in her voice. “What did Killer Frost do to you?”

“It wasn’t her. It was me.”

She’s taken aback by his words. “Why? Why would you hurt yourself?”

“I had to make sure she knew I was serious.”

“About?”

“Not hurting you anymore. Not running away from things.” He licks his dry lips and takes a step closer to her. “Caitlin I-- I’m not running anymore. We’re going to talk things through, all of it.” A small gust of wind sweeps the area and Cisco twists his nose at the smell that reaches his nostrils. “Not here though, I don’t think my lunch can remain inside otherwise.”

A wet laugh leaves her lips and she blinks back the moisture gathering at her eyes. “Okay but under one condition - I get to look at your hand.”

He can't help the way his lips twitch with the beginnings of a smile. "That can be arranged."

******

They sit in silence on her couch. Cisco watches as Caitlin methodically wraps a fresh bandage around his hand, after making sure the cut is properly disinfected. Her fingers are gentle and leave goosebumps on his skin in their awake, and he tries his best not to shiver. His eyes flicker towards her face. It’s something he always loves to do while she works, to just take in the way her brow furrows in concentration and her eyes are sharp and focused. But his absolute favorite part about it is the tip of her tongue that occasionally sticks out of her lips. 

She’s doing it now and it’s the most adorable thing ever. 

Caitlin notices him staring - of course she does. She always somehow knows he’s looking at her, even if she’s giving her full attention to the task she’s performing. She pauses and looks at him behind her lashes and Cisco almost short-circuits on the spot.

Maybe he actually does.

“What?” she asks, her voice just above a whisper.

He can’t help himself. “You’re beautiful,” he lets out, voice just as soft as hers. She seems taken aback by the sudden confession, her hands retracting from his, and Cisco thinks he may have crossed the line when she averts her gaze to the first aid kit that sits on her coffee table. 

Caitlin clears her throat and begins to brush invisible dust from her lap. “All done,” she proclaims and stands up quickly, reaching for the kit. 

She doesn’t get to leave the room. Cisco’s uninjured hand shoots up and grabs for her wrist, and she looks startled by the motion, eyes darting between his and his hand. “Stay.” The word tumbles out of his lips and he doesn’t know what she sees in his eyes that makes her backtrack and take a seat next to him again. 

There’s a wave of nervous energy radiating from her and he can feel her erratic pulse underneath his fingertips. She still looks like she wants to bolt, to hide away from what they both know needs to happen for things to be fine between them again. “No running, remember?” he says with a little smile, aiming to try and put her at ease. 

“No running,” she echoes, and it feels like she’s saying it more to herself than anything. 

A beat passes and their gazes meet and it’s like that little moment at Jitters all over again. She bites her lip and his eyes immediately flicker down to take in the sight, and he leans closer and closer without realizing it. It surprises him when she does the same, eyes gently closing with a flutter of her eyelashes.

The kiss is gentle and tender, somewhat hesitant - just a slow touch of lips, and Cisco doesn’t feel the fireworks exploding behind his eyes or the butterflies in his stomach. What he feels is this warmth that spreads from his chest to the rest of his body and wraps around him like a cocoon. It feels new, and it feels  _ right  _ and it’s everything. 

They pull apart but remain relatively close, foreheads touching, and he can feel every puff of breath on his lips. “Is this okay?” she shyly asks as her free hand comes to rest against his cheek.

“More than okay,” he replies and it comes out a little out of breath. She laughs and his heart swells at the sound. 

“We should probably talk about this.”

“We should.”

A pause and her lips are on his again, just a gentle peck. It’s his time to laugh. “That’s not talking now, is it? 

Caitlin’s lips split into a genuine smile. “It’s not but we have all the time in the world, right?”

“We do.”

He kisses her again and it’s like the world outside and the room just fades, along with the twenty five messages from Ralph, Barry and Iris he has left unanswered on his phone. There will be time for that later.

  
Much, much later.  _ _

**Author's Note:**

> Part two coming tomorrow :P


End file.
